High-speed broadband not meeting consumer expectations

But low expectations are exceeded

Customers expecting to receive high-speed broadband are often left disappointed with the speeds they receive, according to new Which? research.

Our latest analysis, as part of our Fix Bad Broadband campaign, suggests that people who expect to receive broadband speeds in excess of 30Mbps are the most likely to be let down when they log on. Meanwhile, those with expectations below 10Mbps saw their expectations exceeded by an average of 38%.

The analysis used data from Speed Checker Ltd collected between January and March 2017. Expected speeds were self-reported by users.

The research highlights the expectation gap many consumers have told us about when it comes to broadband service across the UK. Households expecting to receive speeds of 30Mbps or more do receive higher speeds in general, but the gap between the speed achieved and expected speed becomes greater as expectations increase.

While users expecting low speeds received speeds that exceeded their expectations, some of these expectations were very low, and well beneath the 10Mbps speed recommended for families under the Government Universal Service Obligation.

‘People who think they have signed up for faster broadband speeds are the most likely to be disappointed, with our research showing many are generally getting speeds that are much slower than they expected.

‘Consumers need to regularly test their broadband speed to check they are getting the service they are paying for. If they aren’t they should contact their provider so that any issues with their service can be resolved.’

Which? campaigns to fix bad broadband

Our Fix Bad Broadband campaign and free speed checker measures key elements of your broadband connection, including download speed and upload speed. It will help you discover the broadband speed you receive and compare it to what you’ve been told to expect by your internet service provider. The speed checker will also allow us to gain a better picture of broadband across the UK – and find out whether providers are really delivering on their claims.